gyuudon

Going to go to Japan in two weeks and I'm looking for a site to rent a nano SIM for two weeks. I heard bmobile was decent and econnect too, but econnect doesn't have an option for a S6... unless I can select the iPhone nano SIM version - will that still be compatible?

Or should I just use AT&T passport service...

Phone is unlocked

LCUF

Are you looking for just mobile Internet? If so, any nano SIM from the providers you list should be fine, as long as your phone is unlocked. The accompanied instructions will help you set up the APN profile necessary to connect to the Internet.

Looks like S6 only has one band (LTE band 1) that is usable in Japan (NTT Docomo and SoftBank) though.

I had experience with prepaid nano SIM from so-net using iPhone 6, similar to bmobile and econnect as all their SIM cards are NTT Docomo branded and the speed was fast at first at the airport when I activated it but after that the speed was terrible (less than 1mbps) even when I was still within the 30 days service window and 2GB quota. YMMV.

FlitBen

Get a U-Mobile 15-day nano SIM right from vending machines at Narita or Haneda arrival halls. 200MB data per day at LTE speeds, 128-200kbps once thottled, instructions for both Android and iOS unlocked phones. Or you can get IIJMIO 1- or 2-GB nano SIMs retailing at airport convenience stores, and BIC and Yodobashi department stores around Tokyo, which IIRC have Android instructions as well.

Some airport stores have test SIMs you can use to check your phone's compatibility. Blue Sky at Narita had some for IIJMIO. With the vendo and delivered SIMs there's always some risk they won't work out of the box.

ChrisLi

You may consider simply buy a SIM card, there're plenty of data-only SIM card provider such as b-mobile / bic-camera / iijmio / so-net that are essentially white labeled docomo service. the service plans varies.

You just need to get a nano SIM and follow the steps to setup the APN, otherwise nothing extraordinary.

beep88

Many data only SIM cards available for sale at the airport, at BIC/Yodobashi. Why rent?

Beware that B-Mobile = eConnect is very, very slow, from day-1, despite the same "theoretical top speed" as other cards, and the most restrictive telephone support hours - not that they are of any use. Used B-Mobile 1/2 dozen times when they were essentially the only option, and speeds deteriorated through the years.

So-Net was fast (enough) throughout the 2 weeks I used it.

SIM cards for android and iPhone are the same, as long as it's the right size.

Some Android phones have issues if the LTE band is incompatible, in which case you have to specifically disable LTE on the phone.

Singal Bar always show zero and it's normal.

FlitBen

With IIJMIO you buy a bucket of GB which you exhaust until zero. With U-mobile it's a more managed scheme, you're assured of some availability over the package period.

With both types I routinely saw 15Mbps down/3Mbps up LTE speeds on my iPad Air in major areas and stations around the Kanto region, even enroute on Shinkansens and underground Tokyo subways. Once throttled, U-mobile would sometimes slow down into uselessness around 9pm just when I need it on the trains, so factor that in. The IIJMIO once used up becomes souvenir plastic. I keep a few SIMs of both brands to test future phones with.

Most prepaid wireless data plans available to short-term visitors seem subject to throttling of between 200-333MB per day of usage, including the "premium" rentable wi-fi hotspot routers. Calculating on the basis of maximum fast GB available per day, the cost rounds to JPY1,000/GB for wi-fi hotspots and JPY1,500/GB for LTE SIMs, at best. So plan accordingly.

shuigao

Interesting. I'd always assumed that wifi hotspot rentals would be more expensive than LTE SIM's, particularly as you need to rent the device itself in addition to the SIM.

FlitBen

The portable hotspot renters would make you think the cost/benefit ratio is even better in their favor. But in reality the fine print of established suppliers like globaldvancedcomm indicates their throttling applies once 1GB is consumed in or within 3 days. That could be liberally taken to mean a max fast 1GB per day, or strictly a moving 3-day average of roughly 0.333 fast GB/day.

To give global the benefit of the doubt I assume it's a fast 1GB per JPY1000 per day with JCB's package discount, which includes loss insurance.

Peggy chang

Maybe you can try this one: "iVideo" http://en.ivideo.com.tw/jp/top.html. It is no flow limited, and they have discount now, JPY about 500 per day. If you write blog, you can join their experience activity for free wifi.